Frankfurt was established as a trading centre in Roman times and by the 12th century its trade fares were attracting Visitor’s from as far away as the Baltic and Mediterranean. Although Frankfurt bought its autonomy from Germany in 1372 for a fee of 8800 Guilden it was still occupied by invading forces on numerous occasions.

Frankfurt held an important position in the Holy Roman Empire of Germany until it ended in 1806, following that the a confederation of 35 states was formed with Frankfurt hosting its Reichstag

In 1848 Germanys first parliamentary delegation met in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche, an event that prompted US President John Kennedy to describe Frankfurt as “the cradle of democracy in Germany” over a century later. Frankfurt was virtually destroyed by Allied bombing during World War 11 and was later completely rebuilt into a modern metropolis with international appeal as the economic and transport centre of Germany.